San José and Dublin celebrate 30 year ‘close friendship’

The “close friendship” between Dublin and San José, California, has helped foster a “dynamic business relationship” between the two cities, according to San José’s vice mayor who addressed a conference in Dublin on Monday.

San José and Dublin have been twinned in the Sister City Program for 30 years, which is an initiative to “develop civic, cultural, economic, educational, artistic and athletic ties” between San José and Dublin, as well as Silicon Valley and Ireland.

As part of the programme, a conference, the Importance of Business to the City to City Connection, took place in The Irish Times building. San José vice mayor Rose Herrera said the "two way trade" relationship between the two cities had been "highly successful".

“We know your city provides a welcoming environment for businesses to succeed,” she said.”It is a dynamic business environment, and the trade relationship with Ireland is growing, mostly in terms of technology and business to business.”

Ms Herrera also appealed for businesses to invest in San José, which she said was “the centre and the hub” of Silicon Valley. “San José has particularly benefited from this period of growth,” she said. “Our economy is strong, although it has its ups and its downs. We tout ourselves as - and we try to be - a business environment.”

Irish Times journalist Pamela Newenham also addressed the conference and outlined how her company GirlCrew is "changing the world of friendship". The company, which is about to launch an app, connects women seeking other women to attend events with.